Red Pens and High Heels
by ShiieldMaidenofGondor
Summary: Originally just a one-shot role reversal AU of Oliver and Felicity's first meeting, but slowly expanding into a collection of one-shots, drabbles, and ficlets in the same AU.
1. Red Pens and High Heels

**AN: ****Hey guys, so I was looking for Olicity role reversal AUs the other day and I didn't find all that many, so I decided, hey, why not write one myself? This is the first in what I expect to be a series of oneshots in this little role-reversal AU that I've put together.**

**This isn't really all that different from the original, but I really just needed to get the idea of Oliver as the IT guy and Felicity as the Arrow out of my head, so here we are. Please enjoy!**

**I don't own Arrow or any of its characters. If I did, I don't think I'd be so worried about student loans.**

* * *

"_I'd suggest going to Mr. Oliver Queen, down in IT, he can surely help you with whatever you need_," Walter had told Felicity.

_He damn well better be good_, she thought to herself as she entered the Smoak Consolidated building, Floyd Lawton's laptop tucked in her tote. As Felicity walked the tiled halls, her heels clicked with every step. She remembered when, five years ago, that sound had been a power trip - she'd felt invincible whenever she wore her favorite stilettos. Now, five years later, they were little more than torture devices for her feet. (Although she did still get a little boost of confidence from how fabulous they made her legs look)

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open on the IT floor. Felicity clicked her way down the hall and was pretty proud of herself for not falling in her heels yet today but when she caught sight of this Oliver Queen, she nearly stumbled enough to twist an ankle. Nearly.

_Aren't IT guys supposed to be, like, skinny dudes in khakis and plaid short-sleeved button downs?_ That was what Felicity had been prepared for - not this. Felicity had _not_ been prepared for the broad-shouldered, muscular, blonde, blue-eyed, and bespectacled man sitting in the cubicle labeled as belonging to Oliver Queen. He was focusing intently on his work, going from computer screen to paper notes, and a red pen was sticking out of his mouth. His glasses had slipped halfway down his nose and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and shit, Felicity really needed to pull herself together.

She was Felicity Smoak, the Woman in the Hood, and she was not going to let some pretty-boy IT guy distract her from her mission.

Felicity took a moment to compose herself and knocked lightly on the wall of Oliver's cubicle. He turned in his office chair to see who it was and his jaw dropped a little, the end of the red pen resting on his bottom lip.

"Oliver Queen?" Felicity greeted him when he didn't say anything right away and she couldn't hide her little smirk when he jumped a little and rushed to put the red pen back in his pencil mug. "Hi, I'm Felicity Smoak," she introduced herself.

"Of course, I know who you are, you're Ms. Smoak," he said, a little flustered.

"No, no Miss or anything like that, makes me feel like my father," Felicity said, remembering how her dad always liked to be addressed as 'Mr. Smoak' and nothing less.

"Right, but he's dead. I mean, he drowned. But you didn't, which means you could come down to the IT department and listen to me babble. Which will end. In three, two, one." He took a deep breath and started over. "Hi Ms. Smoak, how may I help you?"

Felicity had a very difficult time stifling her grin at Oliver's babbling.

"Please, call me Felicity," she said with the professional smile her mother had been teaching her her whole life.

"Of course, Ms- I mean, Felicity."

"I'm having some trouble with my computer and they told me that you were the person to come and see," Felicity said as she reached into her tote bag and pulled out Lawton's laptop, handing it to Oliver. She thought she might have heard him wince in pain at the sight of it. "I was at my coffee shop, getting some work done, and I spilled a latte on it."

"Really?" Oliver was less impressed with Felicity's bullshit excuse than she was.

"Yeah."

"A latte?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Because these look like bullet holes."

"My coffee shop's in a bad neighborhood."

Oliver shook his head at her and set the laptop back down on his desk. "If there is anything that you can salvage from it, I would really appreciate it," Felicity said sincerely.

"I'll get right on it, Ms- I mean, Felicity," he said, taking the laptop in his hands again. Felicity flashed him a charming smile and started to leave, but then she got an idea.

"Tell you what," she said, "since this is a personal request," she went on, snatching a post-it note and that damned red pen from over the wall of his cubicle, "I'll just leave you my number and you can get in touch with me once it's ready." She scribbled down her name and her cell number and offered it to Oliver.

"I - uh, I mean, of course," he spluttered, and damn if it wasn't adorable. Felicity grinned at him and made her exit, her high heels clicking with every step.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought in a review!**

**Natalie out.**


	2. Remarkability and Sketchy Cover Stories

**Hello, dear readers! After the unexpected positive response that this original ficlet got, I figured, hey, why not keep going with this? So here we are, dear readers, and here's another short installment of this role reversal AU, getting into the events with the black archer.**

**I don't own Arrow. If I did, I wouldn't have to worry about things like college tuition.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The next time Felicity needed tech help, she went back to Oliver, or as she had been calling him in her head, hot IT guy. There was another archer in town; he was _murdering_ people, the Woman in the Hood was getting the blame for it, and that was _not_ okay. Felicity needed to find out as much as she could about this guy and hopefully, hot IT guy could help her out.

When Felicity went up to see him, he was intently focused on his tablet. Like the last time, he was completely absorbed in whatever he was doing and totally oblivious to the world around him. And _damn it all_, he was chewing on his bottom lip and scrubbing at the little bit of scruff on his jawline. _Get a hold of yourself, Felicity, Jesus!_ She took a deep breath, collected herself, and strolled up to his cubicle, resting her elbows on top of it.

"Hey," she greeted him.

Oliver must have jumped about a mile at the sound of her voice.

"Don't you knock?" he asked her incredulously. Felicity quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oliver, this is the IT department, not the men's room or anything," she said with a little grin. Oliver shook his head at her and locked his tablet, looking back up at her smirking face.

"What can I do for you?" he asked calmly. Felicity took a deep breath and pulled the black arrow out of her bag.

"So, my friend Molly is really into archery, apparently it's like, the rage now," she said, playing on the whole 'shipwrecked on a deserted island for five years' thing.

"I don't know why," Oliver commented, "it looks utterly ridiculous to me," he said, reclining in his office chair. Felicity hmmed at his words and gave him a strained smile. _Oh, if you only knew, pretty boy._

"Anyway, Molly's birthday is coming up and I want to buy her some arrows," she said, moving to lean on the wall of Oliver's cubicle. "The thing is, she gets these weird, special, custom made arrows, and I have no idea where she gets them," she said, spinning her well-rehearsed story and fiddling with the black arrow in her hands as she spoke. "I was hoping you could find out where this came from," she said, holding the arrow out to him. "Careful," she cautioned him when he reached for it, "it's sharp."

"Got it," he said with a little grin, taking it from her to examine it. "The shaft's composite's patented," he said, more to himself than to Felicity, and he turned to his computer screen, typing faster than just about anyone Felicity had ever seen. "That patent is registered to a company called Sagittarius," he told her, looking back up at her with a satisfied grin. "That's Latin," he added, handing her back the arrow, "for 'the archer.'" _He's so damn proud of himself,_ Felicity thought to herself.

"Could you find out where and when it was purchased?" she asked, well aware of the suspicious nature of the question. Oliver was too, evidenced by the skeptical eyebrow he raised at her. They stared each other down for a few moments, well, Felicity was busy trying not to focus on his blue eyes. Finally, Oliver turned back to his computer screen, rolling those blue eyes of his in mild exasperation.

"According to Saggitarius company records," he said after awhile, "that particular arrow was part of a shipment of - _wow_ \- two hundred units," he went on, snatching a post-it note and scribbling something down on it, "sent to this address," he finished, handing the post-it note to her. She took it from him and quickly read it over.

"Oliver," she said with a smile, "you are remarkable."

"Thank you for remarking on it," he replied with a smile of his own and - if Felicity wasn't mistaken - a little bit of a flush to his cheeks. Felicity nodded to him and pushed herself off of his cubicle. "And Merry Christmas," he added.

"I'm jewish, actually," Felicity corrected him. She could practically see his internal panic before she gave him a grin to show that she wasn't upset by his assumption. He relaxed, and the kind smile was back on his face.

"Happy Hanukkah, then," he said, and with one last smile, she left him in his little technological world.

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading! I know it's short, but hey, it's something at least. If you liked it, let me know in a review :)**

**Natalie out.**


	3. Red Wine and Pink Lips

**So I may or may not have taken this AU and run with it. I'm having too much fun with this. Anyways, here we are again, continuing into the blackhawk drama.**

**I still don't own Arrow. If I did, I could spend as much money as I wanted on my Captain America cosplay.**

* * *

Felicity'd had a hell of a time coming up with a cover story for Oliver this time. She was investigating Blackhawk and she had some intel, but she was going to need more if she wanted to actually get the job done. And so she found herself in the Smoak Consolidated building once more, armed with a key fob and complete faith in Oliver Queen. After what he'd done for her with the laptop and the black arrow, she was confident in his abilities and was beginning to trust him. Although that trust was helped along by the little background check she may or may not have run on him.

Anyways, this time when Felicity clicked her way into Oliver's little corner of the IT department, she was armed with her most ridiculous cover story yet. When she approached his cubicle, he looked up at the sound, reclining in his chair when he recognized her.

"And here I was beginning to think that my days of being Felicity Smoak's personal computer geek were coming to an end," he greeted her with a little smile to show her that he was just kidding.

"Is that your way of saying you miss me?" she shot back at him with a grin, making for the entrance to his cubicle this time, instead of the short dividing wall.

"No," he answered her question, "but if it works for you, go with it."

They shared teasing smiles for a moment - what felt like an eternity of a moment - before Felicity dragged herself back to reality.

"So," she began, "a friend of mine is running a scavenger hunt and there's a case of Lafite Rothschild 1982 waiting at the end."

"Oh, I love red wine," Oliver said under his breath with the beginnings of a groan that was headed towards sinful. Felicity smirked a little, filing that little fact away for future reference.

"But in order to find it, I first need to get through this," she said, taking the security fob from her purse and handing it to Oliver. He hmmed to himself as he looked it over.

"A security fob?" he said, though it came out more like a question. Felicity shrugged and with a sigh, Oliver turned to his computer screen. He was typing something, Felicity wasn't sure what, but she took the opportunity to come up behind him and lean over him while he worked - one hand on the back of his chair, the other bracing herself on his desk. "It's pin protected," he finally said, and Felicity saw on the screen something that looked a bit like the Blackhawk logo. "The challenge response goes back to a company called Blackhawk Squad Protection Group."

"Yeah," Felicity said quickly, searching for a lie to give and failing to notice the way that Oliver startled a bit when he realized just how close she was. "My friend had her bodyguard set it up for her," she finally said. "Personally, I think it's cheating, but whatever." As she spoke - her mouth far too close to his ear for comfort - Oliver collected himself and his damn nerves. _She's just a girl, Oliver, you can handle talking to girls_, he told himself, and he got back to poking and prodding at the security protocol.

"This is a military-grade cryptographic security protocol," he realized, even more skeptical now of Ms. Smoak's intentions. "Your friend really went to all this trouble?"

"The idle rich are hard to entertain," she answered smoothly. "Listen," she said, and he turned in his chair to properly look at her. "You get through it and one of those bottles of wine is yours," she said, moving one hand to rest on his shoulder. Oliver didn't even try to hide his smile.

* * *

A week later, Oliver's doorbell rang and he went to go answer it. There was no one there, but he did stub his toe on a box left on his stoop. He glanced around the street, looking for who might have left it, but there was no trace of whoever it had been.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Oliver knelt down to inspect the box. It was plain and boring, really, but then he found a pink slip of paper taped to the side - a shade of pink he was starting to grow pretty damn fond of. It was the same pink that Felicity liked to wear on her lips.

Pushing aside the memories of Felicity Smoak and her winning smile, Oliver picked up the box to better read the note.

_To my personal computer geek,_

_Hope you didn't think I forgot about my promise. Straight from the idle rich of Starling City, here's your wine. Thanks for all the help!_

_\- Felicity :)_

Oliver smiled. She added a little smiley face to her signature. _She actually came through with it_, he marveled to himself.

"Thanks, Felicity," he said under his breath, taking the box inside and locking the door behind him.

Across the street in a shadowed alleyway, a pair of bright pink lips smiled from beneath a green hood.

Felicity had deliberated over that damn smiley face for a good five minutes before she finally said _to hell with it_ and just added it already. She'd made the right choice. And it seemed that Oliver appreciated her thanks, if that cute smile of his was any indication. _Shit. I'm in trouble._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! If you liked it, let me know in a review! I'm open to prompts with this AU as well, so if you have anything you want to see in this AU, just let me know! My PM box is open, or you could just drop a review :) Thanks again!**

**Natalie out.**


	4. Burgers and Vertigo

**AN: Wow, it's been forever since I've updated this. But yeah, I haven't forgotten about this story and so here's more! I'm working on the next chapter, I promise.**

**I still don't own Arrow or any of its characters. If I did, I'd be able to afford to put together a killer black canary cosplay.**

**Enjoy!**

**EDIT 8/19/15: fixed a mistakenly repeated line that I missed while editing. Thanks so much stonebreakerironhill for pointing it out!**

* * *

_Vertigo: Drug or Epidemic?_

Felicity raised an eyebrow at the headline of the local paper. It seemed a bit dramatic to her, at least. Well, to be fair, she didn't know much about the drug, or what was going on with it. _Which is why you're going to actually read the article and not just criticize the title,_ she scolded herself.

It seemed that this new drug was all over the place. People were getting arrested right and left over it but what caught Felicity's attention was the most recent arrest.

_Thea Queen, age 18, was taken into custody last night after she was found guilty of driving under the influence of the drug. Young Ms. Queen had reportedly taken a dose of the drug and then gotten behind the wheel, only to crash on the bend on Water Street just south of its intersection with Maple. Ms. Queen is facing the threat of prison for her actions._

There was a picture of her in the corner of the page and Felicity couldn't help but think that she looked awfully familiar.

Then she saw the family photo at the bottom of the article.

Well, damn.

* * *

Felicity wasn't about to let Oliver's sister rot in jail for a shitstorm that wasn't (entirely) her fault. Felicity herself had been in Thea's position plenty of times herself, before the island. She'd been irresponsible, reckless, stupid, and she'd done some really dumb things. The only reason she wasn't in prison right now was because people had helped her. And she was going to do the same for Thea. Thea was going to be the last one. No more young women were going to have their lives ruined by Vertigo. This was going to end, and it was going to end today.

Felicity started by anonymously paying the Queen family's hospital bill. It was the least she could do. It was pretty simple too, she just called the hospital, explained what she wanted to do, fibbed about whether or not the family was okay with it, and done! One good deed accomplished for the day. She'd done a good thing. So she was surprised when, the next day, she got a text from Oliver, asking if they could talk. Felicity suggested they go out for lunch, but Oliver insisted that she just drop by his office. She'd agreed, and that was how she found herself taking the elevator up to the IT floor.

She had not expected to see an angry Oliver when she entered the office he'd been upgraded to.

"Hey, you," she greeted him with a smile.

"Hello," he responded stiffly, still staring at his computer screen. Felicity clicked over to his desk and after a moment's hesitation, she settled herself leaning against the inside edge of the desk.

"What's up?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Oliver said, turning to face her with an expression that was the epitome of pissed. "I'm sure you've seen the articles about my sister," he began. "She got into some bad shit," he said, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded, "she crashed her car and ended up in the hospital. My mother and I were worried about the bill until lo and behold, it's gone. _Someone _made an anonymous donation to pay for my sister's medical care," he said, training his accusing gaze on Felicity. She shifted uncomfortably under that gaze and dropped her own eyes to her feet.

"Wow, that was real generous," she said, avoiding the unspoken question.

"Yeah, it _was, _but it'd be great if whoever it was had actually _asked _if it was alright to do that."

"I'm sure that your - benefactor, I guess - only had your sister's best interests at heart," Felicity told him, still avoiding the truth. Oliver sighed heavily.

"Felicity, I know you did it, I traced the money back to you, and my family, we appreciate it, but we'd appreciate it more if you had asked us about it first," Oliver said, and Felicity finally looked up at him to see that his angry face had been replaced with a small smile.

"I didn't mean it like she was a charity case or anything, I just wanted to help. She- she reminds me of me when I was her age," Felicity admitted. "I got into some pretty bad stuff when I was younger and I probably should have done at least a little jail time, especially after the tequila incident. And that time I stole a taxi. And the many, _many_ drunken disorderlies I racked up. I'm honestly surprised I _didn't _end up in jail or pregnant - I'm babbling, aren't I," she stopped herself. Oliver only smiled at her. "What I'm _trying _to say is that I didn't mean to insult your family at all, I just wanted to help your sister."

Oliver couldn't help his smile now. Felicity Smoak never ceased to surprise him. She put on this front of a calm and collected businesswoman, when - from what he could tell - she was probably holding back her words all the damn time. It was a shame. Her babbling was adorable.

"Thank you for what you did, Felicity," Oliver said sincerely, bringing an unsure smile to Felicity's face. "Now if only we could get Thea through the trial, then she'd be home free," Oliver said, scrubbing a hand along his jaw.

"Trial?"

"Yeah, the judge wants to make an example out of her, show that they're really serious about this whole Vertigo thing," he said. "It's bullshit, but we have to deal with it, and of course, it had to be _my _sister to be the example. She's facing years in prison if we don't get her out of this," Oliver went on, moving to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Have you guys got a lawyer?" Felicity asked. Oliver scoffed and shook his head.

"Because an old friend of mine works at CNRI," Felicity said. "She kind of hates me, since it was my fault that her sister came on the gambit with me and is now dead, but I think that I could convince her to help Thea, take up her case."

"Could you do that?" Oliver asked, a hint of hope audible in his tone of voice.

"I'll give her a call."

* * *

"Dad, I know you don't like her, you've never liked her, but this isn't about Felicity, this is about a girl who doesn't deserve to go to jail just because some judge wants to make an example of her."

"Laurel, if you honestly think that I am going to do a favor for the woman who got Sara killed then you have another think coming."

"Dad, I know you're mad, and I'm mad too, but can't you just put it aside? All I'm asking for is a probation and community service arrangement for Thea Queen."

"The girl's eighteen, she's an adult, it's time she learn to take her medicine."

Laurel could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Are you kidding? None of this seems familiar to you? A young girl acting out, engaging in reckless behavior, does that ring any bells?"

"Laurel, don't go there," her dad said stiffly.

"Thea, this girl, she's _just_ like I remember Sara."

"That is _not _how I remember your sister."

"That's because you remember her the way you _wish _she had been, not how she actually was," Laurel protested. "She wasn't the saint you make her out to be. I _know _she was arrested for shoplifting and I _know _you made it go away."

"Well, maybe if I'd let her go to jail, maybe Smoak wouldn't have invited her on that damn boat."

"Dad, you make it sound like she kidnapped her! For so long, you and I have blamed Felicity for Sara's death, but Sara's to blame too. When I look at Thea Queen, I see Sara's potential in her, and her flaws too. Yes, Thea made a mistake, but she doesn't deserve this. I've talked to her brother and she's been through a lot. She doesn't need prison, she needs help," she said. "So please, dad."

A beat.

"I'll make some calls."

* * *

_New Message From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_Talked to my lawyer friend, she pulled some strings and managed to get the judge to agree to a probation and community service bargain type thing_

* * *

_New Message From: Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen_

_omg really? That's amazing!_

* * *

_Message From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_Laurel still needs Thea to agree to it tho…_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Shit. I could get her over to my place and then she could come over and talk to her maybe?_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Sounds like a plan. Just tell me when_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Will do_

* * *

_New Text From: Oliver_

_Hey Speedy, wanna have a movie night? Get your mind off of things?_

* * *

_New Text From: Thea Queen_

_Are you serious rn?_

* * *

_Oliver:_

_Yes, I'm serious. I'll order pizza, pepperoni and mushroom_

* * *

_Thea Queen:_

_Ice cream too?_

* * *

_Oliver:_

_I've got rocky road in the freezer_

* * *

_Thea Queen_

_Promise i get to pick the movie and we have a deal_

* * *

_Oliver:_

_Promise. I'll come by and pick you up? 6ish?_

* * *

_Thea Queen:_

_K see you soon bro_

* * *

_Oliver:_

_See ya, Speedy_

* * *

_New Text From: Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen_

_Is tonight alright?_

* * *

_New Text From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_Gimme a sec_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Yep. See you tonight._

* * *

Oliver and Thea were half way through _Road to El Dorado _when there was a knock on Oliver's front door.

"Are you expecting anybody?" Thea asked her brother, confused.

"Actually, yes," Oliver said, setting aside his pizza and getting up off the couch. He hadn't exactly told Thea about Felicity's offer to help her out. Oliver reached the front door and opened it to see Felicity standing there with a tall brunette woman who could be nobody but Laurel Lance.

"Hey," Felicity greeted him with a smile. "Is Thea in there?"

"Yeah, come on in," Oliver replied, waving the two of them in and closing the door behind them.

"Ollie, who is it?" Thea called from the living room. Oliver took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for a very angry Thea.

"Go on," Felicity said quietly, drawing Oliver's attention to her reassuring expression. He led the way to the living room, Felicity and Laurel right behind him.

"Ollie, what's going on?" Thea asked, pausing the movie.

"Speedy, this is Felicity Smoak-"

"Yeah, I know who she is," Thea interrupted bitterly.

"_And her friend, _Laurel Lance," Oliver continued, ignoring his sister's remark.

"And _what _exactly are they doing here?" Thea asked, getting to her feet and folding her arms over her chest.

"Thea, just hear me out, okay? Felicity, my _friend_," Oliver stressed, "offered to help us out with your case- Thea, _please _just listen," he interrupted himself when Thea opened her mouth to argue.

"Oliver," Felicity cut in, laying a hand on his shoulder, "why don't I take over?" After a moment's hesitation, Oliver sighed, but made a gesture as if to say _go ahead_.

"Thea, Laurel works with CNRI, and when I told her about what happened to you, she said that she could help you out."

* * *

About an hour and quite a few loud arguments later, Thea had agreed to the probation and community service arrangement that Laurel and her father had settled on and Oliver was escorting two women out of his apartment.

"I guess I'll see you around?" Oliver asked as he lingered in the doorway, Felicity still on the stoop while Laurel stood out on the sidewalk, watching the two of them with a small knowing smile.

"Yeah," Felicity replied, but she couldn't seem to make her feet move.

"I, uh, I better get back to Thea," Oliver said, gesturing back in the general direction of his living room. "Thank you so much for everything, Felicity."

"It's no problem, Oliver," she said with a smile, finally getting to her feet unstuck and making her way down the steps to the sidewalk. With a wave, Oliver closed the door.

"He's cute," Laurel commented once the blonde reached the sidewalk, sending a knowing look her way. "I know you and Sara were together for awhile, but you like guys too, right?"

Felicity shrugged.

"That's kind of what 'bisexual' means, Laurel," she said with a little grin.

"Just checking, because he totally likes you," Laurel commented as she walked to her car.

"What?"

"Talk to you later, Felicity!"

And Laurel was gone, leaving Felicity on the sidewalk next to her motorcycle, more confused and conflicted than ever.

* * *

By the end of the next day, Felicity had 1, stolen the police's file on the Count; 2, reconnected and flirted a bit with Detective McKenna Hall; 3, "killed" a man to prove her worth to the Starling City Bratva; and 4, organized a meet with the Count.

A meet that ended up with herself getting drugged.

Although, she did manage to get a sample of the stuff, which was why she was now in the elevator of her mother's building, leaning on Dig while she attempted to power through these hangover-like effects. Oliver was going to see right through her.

The doors dinged open on the IT floor, and of-fucking-course, as soon as she walked out (there were no clicking heels today, it was a day for jeans, converse, and a t-shirt) she had to go and nearly collide head-on with Oliver.

"Felicity!" he greeted her, surprised. "Hi! And Digg, nice to see you too," he said politely, shaking his hand. Felicity looked up at him and even through her sunglasses, the sunlight coming through the window behind him was almost blinding.

"Hi, Oliver," she greeted him. "Do me a favor and just-" she grabbed him by the arms - damn he must work out a _lot _\- and physically moved him, switching places with him so she wouldn't have to look out the window. "Sorry, I'm a bit hungover and the window-"

"Say no more," Oliver said good-naturedly. "I've been there," he added with a sheepish smile. Felicity returned it and took a second to push her sunglasses up and on top of her head, out of the way.

"So are you just here to say hi or do you need something?" Oliver asked, still wearing that little grin.

"I do actually need help with something," she admitted. "See, my friend Mike is working on this new energy drink slash hangover cure," she started, rummaging through her purse as she spoke, "and if it's as good as he says it is then I would love to use it, but he won't tell me everything that's in it," she explained.

"You want me to figure out what's in it?" Oliver asked, a bit skeptically. Diggle answered in the affirmative for her, as she was still digging through her purse.

"You two _do _realize that I'm not a chemist, right? I work with computers, not this kind of thing."

"But I though that maybe you'd have some contacts who do?" Felicity asked hopefully, turning a pleading look on Oliver. And damn it he couldn't say no to that bright pink pout. He sighed.

"Fine, fine, I'll see what I can do," he conceded. "I can understand where you're coming from, I'm pretty particular about what I put in my body too," he said.

"I've noticed," Felicity said without thinking. Oh god did she just say that? Judging from the look on his face she had definitely just said that. "I mean- _haven't _noticed, I mean-"

"She means thank you, Mr. Queen, we'll get out of your hair now," Diggle interrupted, fishing the syringe out of the side pocket of Felicity's bag, handing it to Oliver, and ushering Felicity back to the elevator.

"Your bullshit stories are getting worse," Digg commented once the elevator doors were closed.

"I know."

* * *

_New Message From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_If you could find out where the stuff was made that would be really great… Sorry about my awkwardness :/_

* * *

_New Message From: Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen_

_No problem. I'll call you when I know something._

_P.S. I've found that mint chocolate chip works miracles on a hangover ;)_

* * *

Somehow (Digg still wasn't sure how she managed it) Felicity managed to take down the Count and a few weeks later, her phone buzzed with a text from Oliver.

* * *

_New Message From: Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen_

_Can we meet up? I have something important to talk to you about._

* * *

_New Message From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_Yeah, sure. Anywhere in particular?_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_How do you feel about burgers?_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_I'm game :)_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Big Belly Burger at 7?_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Sounds good, see you then_

* * *

When Felicity walked into this Big Belly Burger place, she was pleasantly surprised. She took a table by the window with a good view of the whole place and an easy route to two of the four exits and ordered herself a double cheeseburger. She was halfway through it when Oliver walked in, looking uncharacteristically nervous. And it wasn't _oh gosh a girl smiled at me _nervous, more like _shit I'm going to die_ nervous.

"Hey," he greeted her, sliding into the seat across from her.

"Hey," she returned gently. "You alright?"

Oliver shrugged.

"You wanna tell me this important thing now or get some comfort food first?" she asked with a little smile. Oliver looked relieved.

"Comfort food first, I think," he said, and it wasn't long before his food had made it to the table. They chatted about insignificant things like the weather and TV shows Felicity hadn't heard of, and it was nice. Felicity learned that Oliver was a total dork. A kind, adorable, and unfairly attractive dork. He watched some show about a doctor and a time machine and he highly recommended that she start watching Game of Thrones. He also may or may not have invited her over to his place to watch some big superhero movie - the Avengers, she thought it was - that she'd missed while she was gone.

It felt normal to Felicity.

Sitting there, talking with Oliver, she felt like he saw her as a person, not as a dropout, a disappointment, or a killer. He talked to her like she was a normal human being and it was amazing.

However, as all things do, their pleasant conversation dwindled to an end as they finished their food and Oliver's nervousness returned.

"So?" Felicity prompted him. He looked up from where he was fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve.

"Right," he said, seeming to come back to his senses.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

Oliver took a deep breath as pulled something out of his pocket - a very familiar little book. Felicity had to bite her tongue to stop from saying anything. How in the hell did he get his hands on that?

"Can I trust you, Felicity?" he asked her, looking up at her and locking his eyes on hers. She nodded. Oliver handed the book to Felicity and she didnt have to fake her curiosity and confusion while she examined it. It was identical to her father's.

"Where did you get this?"

"Walter," he answered, "Walter Steele. He asked me to investigate it."

"My stepfather?"

Oliver nodded.

"Where did he get it?"

"He said it belongs to your mother," he said, and the uneasiness was back in full force. "Felicity, Walter asked me to investigate this thing and the next day, he disappeared. I think this thing might have cost him his life."

"Thank you for showing me this, Oliver," Felicity said seriously.

"Yeah, of course."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! If you liked the chapter, let me know in a review.**


	5. Gunshot Wounds and Secret Identities

**Hey everyone, I'm back and with another chapter in this AU! Sorry it took me so long, school's a bitch.**

**I still don't own Arrow or any of its characters. If I did, I'd have the most beautiful tattoos money could buy.**

* * *

Looking at his workload for the night, Oliver heaved a heavy sigh. This just wasn't even remotely fair in any universe.

* * *

_New Message From: Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen_

_Hey, I'm really sorry but I'm gonna have to cancel on you for movie night :/_

* * *

_New Message From: Felicity Fucking Smoak_

_Aw, boo. How come?_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_B/c apparently my supervisor has more important things to do than his job so "here, Oliver, can you handle these for me? Thanks"_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Basically b/c my supervisor is a dick._

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Want me to fire him? I have that power, you know. Or maybe I could talk to mother dearest about getting you a promotion so you don't have to answer to that dumbass anymore_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Omg no please it's okay I can handle it. But case in point, I'm gonna be working late so The Avengers will have to wait_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Ok :( you wanna reschedule? If you don't that's okay too I just thought I'd ask because I do want to watch this movie with you I just wasn't sure if you still did_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Jfc I even ramble when I text_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Please ignore me. Please._

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_Except the part about rescheduling_

* * *

_Oliver (Hot IT Guy) Queen:_

_Definitely want to reschedule, Felicity. I'll text u tomorrow to figure out when?_

* * *

_Felicity Fucking Smoak:_

_K :)_

* * *

With that, Felicity shoved her phone back in her purse and turned to her suit and her hood. She was so damn grateful that she had been referred to Oliver those few weeks ago. He never failed to make her smile when she was stressed and that had been something she'd needed. Especially since she was about as high-strung as she could possibly get right now.

After Oliver had shown her the book, Felicity had confronted her mother about it.

Donna Smoak was a better liar than Felicity had ever given her credit for.

She didn't want to believe it, but her mother was up to something. There was something off, something to do with the list and her father's book, something that wasn't right. She didn't want to believe it, but she had to. She had been planning to put the inevitable confrontation with her as the Hood off for a few days, but now she had the perfect opportunity. God, she hated thinking about it like that. But the fact remained that now that she had no plans for the night, she could go crash her mother's meeting with the board.

Fuck, she didn't want to do this.

But what choice did she have?

* * *

"Please! I'm a mother!" Donna Smoak pleaded with the Woman in the Hood, grabbing a framed photograph from behind her desk to show the vigilante. Felicity lifted her eyes to the picture and saw her own face smiling back at her from within the small frame. "Her name is Felicity, please don't take me from my daughter. She's lost her father, don't make her lose me too. Please, whoever you are, _please!_"

Felicity was shocked. Out of all the men and women on her father's list, many of them fathers and mothers, none of them had ever brought up their children. None of them had ever begged for their lives on behalf of their children. She lowered her bow.

"Okay," she agreed, her voice still disguised by the modulator. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't notice the gun until it was too late. Donna Smoak was a good shot - she got Felicity in the chest, precious inches above her heart.

_"Felicity?" _she heard Dig through her earpiece. She collapsed to the floor, clutching at the wound and applying as much pressure to it as she could. _"Felicity, are you okay?" _She heard her mother calling up security and acted quickly. She snatched up her bow and a grappling arrow and rolled out the window, the rope catching her fall.

"_Felicity!_" Dig almost barked in her ear.

"I'm fine," she said as levelly as she could.

_Safety. Get to safety. Get medical care. _

"_What happened in there?_"

"Nothing, Dig, I'm fine."

Dig was too far, too far away to get to her in time, and no way in hell was she going to call an ambulance.

_Oliver._

Yes, that would work. Oliver could be trusted with her secret, she had known it intuitively even before she ran her background check on him. With a plan now, Felicity headed for the Smoak Consolidated parking garage, keeping to the shadows and doing her best to remain upright and fight through the blood loss. This was going to hurt like _hell_ once the adrenaline wore off.

She made it to the garage and found Oliver's little red car pretty quickly. His Star Trek bumper sticker wasn't exactly inconspicuous. Felicity checked the doors and _thank god _he had forgotten to lock his car that day. Felicity was starting to feel the blood loss and her shoulder was hurting like a bitch. She opened one of the back doors and eased herself into the back seat, closing the door as quietly as she could. She lowered her self to lie down on the back seat and hissed in pain at the movement.

"_Felicity?_" she heard Dig in her ear again. Honestly, that guy was a mother hen. "_Felicity, don't lie to me, something's wrong._"

"I've got it under control, Dig," she reassured him through gritted teeth as she searched for some kind of towel or blanket - something to press on her wound. Dig started to protest again and her only response was to turn off her earpiece. She could practically _see_ Dig slamming his hand down on the table back at the foundry in frustration with her.

She found something resembling a hand towel and hurriedly pressed it to her wound, letting her head fall back on the seat.

_And now, we wait._

She must have passed out, but she was woken by the sound of a revving engine. Felicity shifted her position and let out a grunt of pain in the process. In the driver's seat, Oliver jumped about a mile and turned around, visibly freaked out by the sight of the vigilante in his car. His eyes were wide with fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Oliver," she said, propping herself up on one elbow.

"How do you know my name?" he asked her sharply.

"Because you know mine," Felicity replied, drawing back her hood.

"Oh, I- wow," Oliver spluttered. "Everything about you just became really damn clear," he was saying until he noticed her wound. "You're bleeding!"

"I really don't need to be told that," Felicity said somewhat dryly, trying to mask her pain as best as she could.

"You need a hospital."

"No-" Felicity insisted, stopping him from pulling out of his parking space just yet. "My-" she took a second to catch her breath and gather herself, "I need you to take me to my father's old steel factory in the Glades."

"You need a doctor, look at yourself!"

"Oliver," Felicity said seriously, and she waited until he was fully listening to go on. "You have to promise me that you are going to take me to my father's factory and nowhere else." There was a beat of silence where Oliver stared her down, trying to decide something for himself.

"Fine," he finally said, "I promise." He shifted the car back into reverse and pulled out of his parking space. "Something tells me blood stains are not covered under my lease," he muttered to himself.

* * *

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Oliver repeated under his breath as he lifted Felicity from the back seat of his car. _Felicity is the vigilante. Felicity is the vigilante and she is bleeding. Felicity is the fucking vigilante!_ Sure it explained a _lot_ about her - especially that bullshit hangover cure story - but it was really hard for him to wrap his head around it. He kicked open the door to the Smoak steel factory and carried her inside. He heard the sound of a desk chair rolling across the floor and swiveling around and when he looked up, it was to see Mr. Diggle aiming a gun at his forehead.

That was until he saw Felicity. His eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, leaving the gun forgotten on the table and taking her from Oliver's arms.

"She was just in my car and she told me to take her here," he explained while Diggle laid the unconscious Felicity down on an examination table and rolled her over to what looked like a bunch of medical machinery. He removed the towel and examined her wound.

Most of what happened after that was a blur in Oliver's memory. Diggle was swearing and rattling off medical jargon and showing Oliver where to apply pressure to her wound. He said something about Felicity's dislike of the questions "how" and "why" and before Oliver knew what was going on, the veteran had bags of blood - bags of _Felicity's_ blood - hooked up to tubes and flowing into her veins. Apparently he got some medical training in the army.

That day, Oliver learned that he really didn't like the sight of blood. A prick on the finger or a scraped knee, he could handle, but a gunshot wound? It was both sickening and terrifying. But looking back on it, on that blue of activity that was John Diggle as he patched up the Woman in the Fucking Hood, Oliver remembered one thing very clearly. He looked down at Felicity's face. She was helpless. Felicity Smoak, a true whirlwind of a woman, a force of nature in her own right, was helpless. In that moment, Oliver only had one question.

"What can I do to help?"

* * *

It wasn't long before Diggle was done stitching her up. Oliver watched with sick fascination as the veteran pulled the thread tight and tied it off while he stood to the side, still holding the used bloody gauze.

"Good job, I think," he said.

"Her heart rate's elevated, but at least the bleeding stopped," Diggle said, cutting the excess thread and setting it aside. "Thanks for your help," he said, taking the gauze from Oliver, "you kept your head on."

"Well, I always wondered how I'd react if I found someone shot and bleeding inside my car," he said, taking off his bloody latex gloves.

"I was thinking all of this would be more of a shock," Diggle said. Oliver looked up to face him and raised an eyebrow. "What, are you saying you called this all along?"

"I'm not saying anything," Oliver stated simply. "Except that Felicity brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, had me trace a black arrow, and research a company involved in armored car heists. I might wear glasses, but I'm not _that_ blind."

"Yeah," Diggle said with a chuckle, "Felicity's not too great with cover stories."

"Neither are you," Oliver couldn't stop himself from saying. "The two of you with that whole 'energy drink hangover cure?' come on," he scoffed. "What was really in that vial anyway?"

"Vertigo."

"I knew it!" Oliver said triumphantly. "I mean," he continued, "I wasn't _sure _it was vertigo, but it sure as hell wasn't something that could cure a hangover," he said, continuing his wandering while Diggle leaned against one of the many tables with his arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, we needed it analyzed so we could take down the Count."

"That was you and Felicity?"

"And you, Oliver," Diggle added sincerely. "Without you, we never would've found him." Oliver furrowed his brow a bit at that. _But why? Why me?_ he thought to himself, voicing the last part.

"Hard as it probably is for her to admit," Diggle answered, "even Felicity needs help sometimes." Oliver had another question on the tip of his tongue, but was interrupted by frantic beeping. Both men turned towards Felicity to see her spasming on the table, her heart rate sky high. Diggle rushed to her side, Oliver close behind.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"There's a syringe labeled ativan, it should stop the seizure," Diggle ordered in lieu of answering Oliver's question, "go." Oliver went to follow Diggle's orders, but Felicity's heart rate monitor flatlined.

"I'm calling 911," Oliver said, going to pull out his phone.

"No, you can't," Diggle protested, going to what looked to Oliver like some sort of defibrillator.

"You know how to use that?" Oliver asked as Diggle placed some kind of adhesive things on Felicity's abdomen and chest and got ready to shock her.

"We're about to find out," Diggle said, pressing the devices to Felicity's chest. There was nothing, but Oliver was sure he'd heard the charge.

"It's not working!"

"I heard the charge," he said, rushing over to the machine, "that's good news."

"How's that?"

"It means it might not be the machine, it could be the wiring," Oliver said as he grabbed a pair of pliers and started fiddling with the wiring inside the defibrillator.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on," Diggle repeated to himself and to Felicity while Oliver worked as fast as he could.

"Okay, try again!" he said hurriedly.

"Clear!" Diggle said, shocking Felicity with the defibrillator. It didn't work. He tried again, and _thank god,_ her heartbeat came back online. Both men sighed in relief. "What the hell did you do?" Diggle asked the other man.

"I've been building computers for awhile now," Oliver said as he came back over to Felicity's side. "Wires are wires," he said simply. "What do we do now?"

"Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves," Diggle said with a bit of a grin that Oliver found himself mirroring.

* * *

It took hours for Felicity to wake up. They were, for the most part, uneventful, though they did have a scare that turned out just to be a loose connection in the wiring again. In that time, Oliver had noticed their computer setup and took it upon himself to replace it. Diggle had laughed at him when he had claimed personal insult at the sight of the old - _shitty, really,_ if he was being honest - system, but Oliver didn't really care. All he cared about was getting some good computers in there. So, he may or may not have hacked into Felicity's bank account and used some of her money to invest in a quality computer system for her little operation. He figured that she would thank him in the long run.

Finally, they noticed, out of the corner of their eyes, movement coming from Felicity. She turned her head and blinked at them as they approached.

"I guess I didn't die," she said, "again." Oliver laughed at that and Diggle shook his head at her in disbelief. "Cool."

Despite Diggle's protests, she sat up and asked for a mirror. When Oliver raised an eyebrow at her request, she rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly.

"I'm not _that_ vain," she said, "I just want to get a good look at the patch job you guys did on me." Diggle handed her a small mirror and she took it, examining the wound in its reflection. Oliver left her be and went to sit in the computer chair while Diggle still stood pretty close to her. "It's not bad," she said. _If that's _not_ bad, I wonder what _bad_ is,_ Oliver thought to himself. Felicity pushed herself off the table and onto her feet. "How am I going to explain this one?"

"Hickey gone wrong?" Diggle suggested. Felicity rolled her eyes at him and turned to face Oliver, ready to thank him, but he spoke up before she could.

"The police collected a sample of your blood at Smoak Consolidated," he said, his eyes on the - _new,_ Felicity noticed - computer screens. "I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed. Oops," he went on, swiveling in the desk chair to face her fully.

Felicity had a hard time not smiling at that "oops."

"I hope it's alright," Oliver said when he noticed her looking over the new computers. "Your old system looked like it was from the eighties."

"It's a lot of work," Felicity commented. She was actually very impressed and pretty damn touched that he had done that for her. "Does that mean you're in?" she asked, looking down at him. He got to his feet and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"You mean, as in I'm going to join your crusade?"

"Well," Felicity said, "you're practically an honorary member of the team already."

"Mr. Diggle said that too," Oliver said, doing his best to remain professional and _not_ stare at her bare skin. _Answer her question, dumbass,_ he scolded himself. "No."

"Then why'd you upgrade my system?"

_Why? Did she really just ask that?_

"First, because a network that poorly set up is painful to look at," he said, "and second, I want to find Walter."

"My stepfather," Felicity clarified, confused. Oliver nodded.

"He's my friend," he explained simply. "And, Mr. Diggle told me that the notebook you use to fight crime is the same notebook that got Walter abducted. I'll help you rescue him, but that's it. Then I want to go back to my boring life of being an IT guy. That's my offer," Oliver stated. He faced Felicity - who was really far more intimidating than any 5'5" blonde woman should ever logically be - with his arms crossed in an attempt to show how firm he was about his terms. Felicity stared him down, considering him and his words. Oliver found it hard not to look away from the intensity of her blue-eyed gaze.

"Okay," she finally said, smiling up at him a little.

"Okay then, great," Oliver said, relaxing his posture. "So, I've been meaning to ask - is there a bathroom? 'Cause I've had to piss since I got here," he admitted, and that earned him a bemused smile from Felicity and a chuckle from Diggle.

"Upstairs and to the left," she said, nodding her head in that direction.

"Great," Oliver said, starting off towards the stairs.

"Oliver," Felicity called him back, and he turned around to look at her again to see that she had extended her hand for him to shake. "Thank you." Oliver took her hand and shook it firmly.

"Yeah," he gave her a small smile and retreated up the stairs to wash the blood off of his clothes.

* * *

After her conversation with Diggle - _her incredibly infuriating and frustrating conversation with Diggle about her mother's potential guilt in all of this - _Felicity was a bit ashamed to say that she ran. Sure, she had an excuse, but she still ran. She ran to change into her jeans and leather jacket and then ran to her motorcycle. She nearly got in trouble for speeding and almost got in an accident on the way, but she made it home safely to the Smoak mansion. She parked her bike and strode up the front walk way; when she got inside, she heard her mother's voice coming from the living room.

"Uh, five foot five, she had a low voice, very athletic," she was saying. _Oh, shit, _Felicity cursed to herself, realizing that her mother must be giving a cop her description of the vigilante.

"Hey, what's going on?" Felicity greeted her mother and Detective Lance it turned out to be, playing the concerned daughter card with ease.

"Your mother was attacked last night," Detective Lance explained. _As if she didn't know._ "By the Vigilante." Felicity widened her eyes and looked straight to her mother.

"What?" she cried, going straight to her mother and laying a hand on her arm.

"She came after me at the office," Donna explained to her daughter.

"Did she hurt you? Are you okay?" Felicity frantically asked questions that she knew the answer to.

"Actually, she hurt her," the detective answered. "She shot her point blank with a gun hidden in her office," he said. _Yeah, I know, it hurt like a bitch_.

"That should help with your investigation, right?" Felicity asked him. "There must have been blood or something," she said. At her words, Detective Lance scowled.

"There was a screw-up in the lab," he ground out. _Good job, Oliver._

"That's too bad," Felicity said carefully, forcing down the smirk that threatened to grow on her lips. Detective Lance shot her a skeptical look.

"We'll be in touch," he said, heading for the door.

"Thank you," Felicity said with all the false sincerity she could muster. As soon as he was gone, Donna took her daughter into her arms.

"Oh, sweetheart, I was so scared," she said, hugging Felicity close. _I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm so, so sorry. _

"I'm just glad you're okay," she said truthfully.

"I thought she was going to kill me," Donna said softly. _Never. _

"I promise you, Mom," Felicity said softly, "she's never going to bother you again." _Never again._

* * *

**Thanks for reading! If you liked it, let me know in a review!**


End file.
